a new congress is sworn in today, but the same old problems remain, including spending cuts, the debt limit, and gridlock. and they'll face outrage after lawmakers failed this week to pass relief packages for victims of superstorm sandy. >> the house of representatives fail thad most basic test of public service and they did so with callus indifference with the suffering of the people of my state. it's back to school for the students of sandy hook elementary. the students returned to class for the first time since last month's tragic shooting. and anger in aurora. families of the colorado shooting victims lash out at what they call a disgusting offer from the theater owner.

captioning funded by cbs this is the "cbs morning news" for thursday, january 3rd, 2013. good morning, everybody. good to be with you. i'm terrell brown. overnight president obama signed into law a just-passed bill that raises taxes on the wealthiest americans, avoiding the fiscal cliff that economists said would throw this country back into recession. the president signed the bill in hawaii. he's on vacation there. it with us the last piece of legislation considered by the 112th congress. the new congress is sworn in today, facing some of the same tax, debt, and spendingish issues that sometimied them. terrell, dozens of freshmen join the ranks today but they face plenty of old business and the reality of a bitterly divided government. there will be fresh faces and new challenges when the 113th congress is sworn in today on capitol hill.

>> it's a privilege and you realize that the hard part is still what lies ahead. >> the new term will begin almost immediately with several issues left over from the last session, including a bill to provide financial relief for victims of superstorm sandy, deep spending cuts known as see questionation tabled during the fiscal cliff talk this week and a bill to increase the nation's debt limit, but it won't take muchb for them to surpass the previous group in terms of legislative success. >> they tell me this is the least productive congress in the history of the nation. if it's not, i would hate to be in the one that was. >> the 113th congress will be the most diverse group of representatives ever assembled, especially in a democratic house caucus where white males will be in the minority for the first time ever. >> today the diversity of our caucus celebrates the strength of our nation. >>over all there will be nearly 100 women and 33 hispanics all

eager to handle the challenges ahead. >> they've all sent us and where are the bathrooms. >> mark kirk is making a comeback after nearly a year of rehabbing from a stroke. >> i don't ask for any sympathy. >> he says his biggest challenge today will be climbing the steps of the capitol building without tripping. and no one will have much time to settle in. the battle over the $16.4 trillion debt limit likely starts, terrell, next month. >> here we go again. tara mergener in washington. tara, thank you so much. speak over the house john boehner says he' s he'll schedu vote for relief for the victims of superstorm sandy. many of the harsh words directed at boehner came from outraged members of his own party. marlie hall reports. >> reporter: in the rush to stop the u.s. from going over the

fiscal cliff, congress let something else fall. house speaker john boehner put off a vote on a $60 billion age package for victims of superstorm sandy. >> it's why the american people hate congress. it's why they hate them. >> reporter: some of boehner's fellow republicans, especially those from the state affected by the storm deserves better. >> they deserve better. >> reporter: boehner scrambled to repair the damage. he promised a house vote on a $9 billion package on friday and the remain 5g $1 billion on january 15th. that was enough for some. >> this procedure that's laid out is fully acceptable and fully satisfactory. this will give us the full $60 billion. >> reporter: superstorm sandy nearly knocked the house in breezy point, new york, off its foundation and most who live here are still not back in their homes. >> this is people's lives. this is not a political

football. >> reporter: joseph izzizzo's h was damaged by the storm. he calls congress's response disgraceful. >> how can you not act on this when you think about irene and how quickly they reacted. why now this political turmoil? >> reporter: izzo says he homes congress does the right thing on friday and approve the money. marlie hall, breezy point, new york, cbs news. under tight security the children of sandy hook elementary school returned to school. the school will keep its name sandy hook elementary. there'll be a large police presence at the school in monroe, connecticut. but the teachers want to keep it as routine as possible. >> grade deal of thought and volunteer work to make this as

seamless as possible. at one point there were 80 people in the building cleaning up the building, doing the kinds of things, painting it to make it really look cheerful and happy. >> on december 14th gunman adam lanza skilled 20 students and 6 staff members. >> secretary of state hillary clinton is home after having been in the hospital. >> reporter: secretary clinton was discharged from the hospital where she was being treated for a blood clot. earlier on wednesday secretary clinton was seen for the first time in the public in three weeks. along with a smiling bill and chelsea clinton and along with security detail. her spokesperson released the statement moments after her motorcade pulled away, saying her medical team advised her that she is making good progress on all fronts and they are confident that she will make a

full recovery. the state department says that clinton has been very active and in communication with her staff. margaret brennan, cs news, new york. overseas in pakistan this morning, pakistan officials say a pair of u.s. drone strikes kill 13d people. it's reported but not confirm thad among the dead is a senior taliban commander. meanwhile a federal judge has ruled that president obama does not have to rule the justification for drone attacks against terrorists. it was about the highly classified targeted killings program. the suit followed a drone strike that killed a leader anwar al awlaki. there's a new death count in the syrian civil war. the u.n. says more than 60,000 people have been killed in the 21 months since the uprising began. yesterday a syrian jet bombed a gas station in a damascus suburb. dozens were reportedly killed.

an american journalist is missing in syria. james foley was working when he disappeared. he was abducted by unknown gunmen on thanksgiving day. two years ago he was held by gunman in libya for six weeks. we'll take a break on this thursday. when we come back, a final tune. we'll remember '50s pop star patty page and her memorable songs. this is "morning news." nof splenda sweeteners, discover nectresse. the only 100% natural, no-calorie sweetener made from the goodness of fruit. the rich, sweet taste of sugar. nothing artificial. ♪ it's all that sweet ever needs to be. new nectresse. sweetness naturally. aww man.

[ male announcer ] returns are easy with free pickup from the u.s. postal service. we'll even drop off boxes if you need them. visit usps.com pay, print, and have it picked up for free. any time of year. ♪ nice sweater. thank you. ♪ [♪...] >> i've been training all year for the big race in chicago, but i can only afford one trip. and i just found out my best friend is getting married in l.a. there's no way i'm missing that. then i heard about hotwire and i realized i could actually afford both trips. see, when really nice hotels have unsold rooms, they use hotwire to fill them. so i got my four-star hotels for half-price! >> men: ♪ h-o-t-w-i-r-e ♪ hotwire.com >> announcer: save big on car rentals too, from $12.95 a day.

a new study suggests that astronauts are at risk of contracting alzheimer's disease. researchers at university of rochester exposed mice to high amounts of radiation the same amount that astronauts would be exposed to in the three years it would take to get to mars. they're working to find a way to lessen the chance of astronauts

getting alsz by the time they travel to mars. u.s. face as downgrade and starbucks retires an old id. strong gains and property stock in china lifted most asian stocks this morning. hong kong's hang seng added nearly half a percent while con congress's kospi added half a percent and tokyo's nikkei remains closed for the holiday. the dow finished at 308 points higher. the nasdaq also gained 92 points. two of the nation's largest credit rating companies are urging congress to shrink the federal deficit that now tops $1 trillion. if they fail to add it could cut the nation's a aa rating and it could be lower unless congress takes action. avis, the nation's largest

car rental company is going in a new direction. it plans to buy zipcar for $400 million. zipcar is a car-sharing service that's more lucrative. members pay a yearly fee in addition to an hourly rate. al jazeera is expected to have a much bigger voice in the u.s. it plans to by current tv started by former vice president al gore and a business parter for about $500. al jazeera is only available in a few places in the u.s. google may be trying to make an inroad into communist north korea, the world's most closed society. eric schmidt, the company's executive chairman is expected to travel there on a humanitarian mission perhaps within a month and within a day of new year's eve yin jong-un

says he wants to modernize civilization. star box wants to reutilize plastic cups. starbucks said five years ago that it wanted to serve 25% of all its drinks in reusable cups by 2510. the goal has since been reduced to 5%. it's great idea, terrell. it sounds like a lot of planning and organizings and too mump for me to do, keach track of that cup. >> i wonder how the baristas at starbucks feel. not don't i have to make your coffee but now i have to wash your cup too? >> ashley morrison in new york. thank you so much. patty page is a singer who's remembered as an easy singer who crossed charts in the 1950s. her hitting were indelible

♪ i was dancing with my darling to the tennessee waltz". >> page's singing career lasted well into the 1980s shelf sold more than 100 million records. she'll receive a grammy award. she died on new year's day. she was 85 years old. up next on a thursday morning, your weather forecast. and in sports, syracuse hoops coach jim bayh,nikze bounces into the record books. this is the "cbs morning news." chili's lunch combos. starting at 6 bucks. more life happens here.

capella university understands bright students are getting lost in the shuffle. need. and administration's work gets more complex every year. when you look at these issues, do you see problems or opportunities? with an advanced degree in education from capella university, you'll have the knowledge to meet these challenges and make a difference in the lives of students. let's get started at capella.edu. she can't always move the way she wants. now you can with new stayfree ultra thins. flexible layers move with your body, while thermocontrol wicks moisture away. keep moving. new stayfree.

around cities. new york, sunny, 31, chicago, breezy, 29 frmgs partly sunny in dallas, 50, mostly sunny in l.a., 68 degrees. let's check your national forecast. as much as a foots of snow could blanket parts of new mexico and texas. scattered showers will stretch from the eastern gulf coast to the east. much of the northeast will be dry and chilly. in sport this morning syracuse university basketball coach jim boeheim continues to climb the ranks. he becomes the second winningest coach in college history. syracuse hitting the first half against rutgers on a 21-0 run. they win 78-53. the win moves boeheim past

legendary coach bobby knight. the warriors have different plans. he deliver as big slam in the second and in the third l.a.'s blake griffin taking a hart foul. his head hit the floor. he would be oklahoma. seth curry leading. an upset in one of college football's beefiest bowl games. muhammad ali on hand to watch his hoemttown team shock the world. he returned an interception for the touchdown. fourth ranked florida never got in the game. louisville rolls to a 33-23 win. and one of the most fearsome players in nfl history is hanging it up after the season. baltimore ravens' linebacker ray lewis is retiring after 17 seasons. his last game could be this weekend when the ravens and

colts face off in the playoffs. in 2002 he was arrested after the super bowl for alleged involvement in a double murder. he pleaded guilty in a misdemeanor and testified against his codefendants. when we come back this morning, colorado controversy. families of victims in the deadly movie theater shooting are outraged over an invitation from the theater owners. icious k it's no ordinary nonfat yogurt. it has twice the protein of regular lowfat yogurt. and at 80 calories, it's the lightest greek yogurt with fruit. its creamy, thick texture helps satisfy you. so you won't feel like you're running low on satisfaction. light & fit greek. be light and fit. and satisfied. mine was earned off vietnam in 1968. over the south pacific in 1943. i got mine in iraq, 2003.

usaa auto insurance is often handed down from generation to generation. because it offers a superior level of protection, and because usaa's commitment to serve the military, veterans and their families is without equal. begin your legacy, get an auto insurance quote. usaa. we know what it means to serve.

here's a look at the weather in some cities around the country. partly sunny in washington, 41 degrees. atlanta, mostly sunny, 50. occasional sun in st. louis, 32. mostly sunny in denver, 37. and cloudy with afternoon rain in seattle, 46 degrees. many of the relatives of the 12 people killed in the aurora colorado movie theater shooting are rejecting a invitation to attend the planned reopening.

they're due to reopen in two weeks but families criticize cinemark, the owner, zee scribing the offer as, quote, disgusting. >> cinemark has never offered their condolences to us families, to any of the victims, and they have -- we feel like they've sort of -- they want to use us as a stepping stone to try and boost ticket sales for their grand reopening for the public. >> a hearing is scheduled for next week to determine whether there's enough evidence to put accused gun man james holmes on trial. a massive operation is under kwa off a remote i alaskan isla island. a drilling well ran aground this week. ben tracy reports. >> reporter: the coast guard has conducted several fly joefrs of the grounded oil rig and says it's stable. late wednesday they were able to assemble a crew on the rig to

assess the damage up close. >> in the event that the hull is intact, we might consider the next move, which is moving the kulluk off the beach, off the rocks, and out to sea. >> reporter: there are nearly 160,000 gallons of diesel fuel and oil inside the kulluk's hole. so far there's no sign of leaking but the coast guard says they're planning a full-scale cleanup operation just in case. the $300 million oil rig ran aground last week after a storm. all 18 people on board were rescued. >> we have a long history of working safely and responsibly offshore alaska, we're very proud of that. so when operations don't go perfectly or as planned, we have to own that. we have to learn from it, and we will. >> reporter: the kulluk is part of their effort to drill for oil. they had to halt in september.

they have yet to complete a single well. ben tracy, cbs news, los angeles. i'm terrell brown. this is the "morning news." [ nyquil bottle ] hey tylenol, you know we're kinda like twins. [ tylenol bottle ] we are? yeah we both relieve coughs, sneezing, aches, fevers. and i relieve nasal congestion.

overachiever. [ female announcer ] tylenol® cold multi-symptom nighttime relieves nasal congestion. nyquil® cold and flu doesn't.

. good morning. welcome to 9news now. a first for the year 2013. we're all back together again. good morning. i'm andrea roane. good morning. i'm mike hydeck. good morning, monika samtani. >> a good feeling to have you

all back. >> nice to have howard bernstein back. a little crisp this morning. some clouds moved in. that's why we're not in the teens in spots. only in the 20s. that acts as a bit of a blanket. we'll see more early this morning than we will this afternoon. so i'm calling for increasing sunshine. still a little bit of a mix of clouds and sun at noon. upper 30s. we'll have a high upper 30s to low 40s. driving home at 5:00 39. no precip. the next five or seven days or so look relatively benign and quiet. all right around here. in fact, next week we may get a warm-up early next week. this morning the high clouds are out there. southeastern virginia seeing a few sprinkles down toward norfolk, virginia beach. otherwise just a cold morning. we have readings in the low 20s in cumberland and martinsburg. we have low 30s in fredricksburg and patuxent river naval air station 33. we're sitting at 31 here at reagan national. 24 in gaithersburg. look at your high temperatures

today. they're ranging in the mid- to upper 30s in northern, western maryland. 38 easton and about 40 here in the district. it is 4:26. monika samtani, happy new year. happy new year, howard. good to see you and good to be here. if you're planning to head over on 355, that's not going to be a good place to be. good morning, everybody. southbound route 355 overnight there was an 8-inch water main break. they do not have an estimated time when the road will reopen between dorset avenue and wisconsin circle southbound route 355 is completely blocked off now. as the rush hour progresses, that situation could get really bad. let's take a live look close by. route 355 wisconsin avenue at bradley boulevard. you can see that volumes are really light. the closure is south of this point. i suggest that you use bradley boulevard, little falls parkway. even river road as your alternate route to 355 and i'll

keep you posted on this situation again as the rush hour progresses. let's go back over to the maps, this time over to virginia. no problems to report on 66. the beltway looks good on the west side of town. on the northbound side of i-95, very quiet here leaving route 644 up to 495 and 395 as well. i'll be back with more information on the water main break at 4:39. back to you. >> thanks, monika. now that congress has passed a bill to steer the country away from the fiscal cliff, what happens now? >> the last-minute compromise between republicans and democrats has them all disappointed. virginia representative jim moran is one of the most vocal about this bill. he sat down with gary nurenberg to say why. >> we face three more fiscal cliffs where the only requests asked will be what programs do we cult and how deep -- cut and how deep do we cut them center. >> congress avoided the fiscal cliff by cutting taxes setting

up moran's two-three punch. >> we delayed a few things but we haven't avoided much. >> reporter: jim runs the greater washington board of trade. he says the uncertainty ahead has the business on hold. >> we're still going to have a hold on hiring. we're still going to have a hold on new investments. everyone is going to be waiting. >> reporter: even as business knows. >> there will be people who are furloughed on their jobs, people who will not be hired into new jobs. >> we're on a new reality, a new economic reality in the national capital region. >> reporter: frank principi knows that if the sequestration cuts kick in in two months... >> programs to head start to emergency preparedness are going to be cut 8% and it's the local governments that's going to have to deal with either replacing that 8% cut or terminating the programs that funding supports. >> reporter: as the federal government spends less... >> we think we're going to need to